Flash Bang
Excel Brewing Company

 

 

I am really closing in on the end of the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody! Floor space is opening up, I am finding old friends with whom to make a new acquaintance & The CANQuest (tm) looms on the horizon. Life is good.

From the Bottle: "Hoppy American Wheat Ale".

I made sure to agitate the bottle a couple of times before Pop!ping the cap to ensure that any lees that may have settled onto the punt were back in suspension. A C-Line pour raised just over a finger of dense, foamy, rocky, eggshell-white head with excellent retention. Color was a deeply-hazy/lightly-cloudy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7). Nose had the distinct tang of wheat, very much like my late-Pops' Wheaties. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium, not watery, but kind of close. The taste had an easily identifiable wheat tang, leading me to wonder just how much wheat comprised the malt bill on this one. Wheat is a grain that is tough to get to work in brewing, second only to rye, and so it is usually used judiciously. I did not get the feeling that judiciousness played a hand in this one. I didn't find it to be overly hoppy, but I am not going to dun them for it since my lag may be to blame. I do not drink Wheat Ales for their hoppiness anyway, so it was kind of a moot point. I usually prefer them in the Summer when it is hot & humid & I am looking for something refreshing. Finish was semi-dry & quite refreshing. Perfect for the type of occasion that I envisioned.

Excel brewing Co. "Flash Bang"
12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle without freshness dating
$2.17 @ Beer Belly's Beverage, State College, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: Pours a hazy golden body beneath a short head of bright white. It seems to have dropped already, but the surface is still solid. There's also about 3/4" of solid foam around the glass where the initial head was, so that's a good sign. I'm waiting to see if the surface covering will break open, it looks close. The aroma is wheaty, and I got what I thought was lemon but seems now to be more orange, but it's interesting, it seems almost pungent/"herbal" and grassy as well. In any case it's not particularly hoppy and really more malty. I'm starting to wonder how old this beer really is. If the code on the neck of the bottle - "07 034 13:54:14" - is a Julian date then it's 190 days old, which is over 6 months but not too bad, particularly for an unfiltered beer. Maybe my nose is just off. So, the head has not broken up, which gives it excellent head retention in my book. On to the flavor... it's more citrusy than the nose suggests with a little bit of grapefruit and some berry-like flavor as well as the original orange. Oh, and am I finding a hint of lemon as well? The pungent and "herbal" character I found in the aroma is absent though, and I only get grassiness in the finish. It's nicely balanced and it finishes dry and gently lingering. Medium bitterness. Medium bodied with a median carbonation that's gently zesty then smooth. Overall pretty nice.

 

Pours a copper reddish color with a foamy white head that lasts quite a while. No discernable aroma. Tastes of a touch of honey and citrus. Mouth feel is dry and crisp.

It pours hazy yellow with a huge head. The aroma is hoppy with hints of wheat sourness. The taste balances well between hoppy bitterness and some tartness. Lots of floral and pine notes.

 

 

 

 

Light copper in color with excellent clarity. There was an inch thick frothy off white head. Light lacing. The aroma was pale wheat but I did not detect any hops. I taste pale wheat, a touch of honey, and some faint citrus hops. This is fairly well balanced. The mouth is dry, crisp, and moderately carbonated.

 

The Flash Bang is a solid offering from Excel. The beer poured a clear yellow with white head that is leaving a spotty lace. The scent has bitter citrus hop flare. The taste leans toward bitter with a grapefruit backdrop. The Mouthfeel is lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it's a good beer.

Aroma is citrus, wheat/mild spices and hops. The flavor is hops/hop resin, mild spices, tropical fruit, citrus and a mix of bitter and slight heat in the finish

 

 

 

Pours a hazy, gold color. One inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of citrus hops, floral hops, wheat, and slight sweet malt. Fits the style of an American Pale Wheat Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with a high carbonation level. Tastes of citrus hops, wheat, slight floral hops, slight sweet malt, pale malt, and a hint of pine. Overall, very hoppy for an American Pale Wheat Ale.